Alcohol abuse in York is 'wrecking lives'

York’s 2010 Health Profile shows hospital stays for alcohol-related harm shot up by 19 per cent in a year, with 3,252 people being hospitalised in 2008/9, compared to 2,724 in 2007/8. Binge drinking has also risen by nearly a fifth and one local expert today said society was paying the price for the increased availability of alcohol.

The hospital figures include patients with conditions such as liver disease, certain cancers and coronary heart disease, as well as those injured while drunk and victims of drink-related violence.

Despite the sharp increase, the figure which equates to 1,400 per 100,000 people, still remains better than the England average of 1,580. Generally, the health of people in York is better than the average for England.

York’s binge-drinking figures, though, are classified as “significantly worse” than the national average. The latest statistics, which are based on a modelled estimate, show 26.3 per cent of adults in York indulge in too much alcohol. This too has increased by nearly a fifth, from 22.3 per cent in the 2009 Health Profile, and is six per cent worse than the England average of 20.1 per cent.

Phil Hulmes, chief officer at York Alcohol Advice Service, said he wasn’t at all shocked by the figures.

He said: “Sadly, we are reaping what we have sown. Over the past 20 years, alcohol has become significantly cheaper as a percentage of people’s incomes and much more widely available.

“If you go back 25 years, supermarkets couldn’t sell alcohol, only off-licences and pubs. Now you can buy it everywhere and anywhere – even in garages.

“All this has led to greater alcohol consumption, and that is now showing itself in terms of long-term health problems such as liver disease and alcohol-related cancers.”

Mr Hulmes also blamed a shift in culture, which has led to more and more people deliberately going out to get very drunk.

Rachel Johns, interim director of public health at NHS North Yorkshire and York, said tackling binge-drinking had been identified as a priority.

However, she said she was confident people’s behaviour was already starting to change thanks to initiatives encouraging people to drink in moderation, run by partner agencies such as the police.

She said: “It’s important everybody understands the quantity and strength of alcohol they are consuming, whether at home or in pubs, bars and clubs. We want people to understand the impact it might have on them in the short-term, in terms of hurting yourself or somebody else, as well as the long-term health impact. Alcohol is a risk factor in coronary heart disease, stroke, some forms of cancer and liver disease, and it should be consumed only in moderation.”

Make your drinking healthier

•Stick to the recommended guidelines

•Try to have days when you don't have any alcohol

•Alternate alcoholic drinks with soft drinks

•Try not to drink on an empty stomach

•Avoid buying in rounds and drink slowly

•Dilute your drinks by mixing with soda, lemonade or tonic

•Avoid spirits and extra strong drinks

•Men should not regularly drink more than three to four units a day, while women should not regularly drink more than two to three units of alcohol a day

•One pint of regular beer or cider equals two units of alcohol

•One pint of premium beer or cider equals three units

•One 175ml glass of wine equals two units of alcohol

Big gap in life expectancy for men is highlighted

MEN living in the most deprived areas of York can expect to live eight years less than those living just streets away in the most affluent areas.

According to York’s 2010 Health Profile, men living in the wealthiest neighbourhoods can expect to reach the age of 82, while those living in the poorest areas can expect to live to only 74.

Meanwhile, the latest available figures, which have not been updated since 2007, show 12,570 people in York are living in deprivation – 6.6 per cent of the city’s population.

Rachel Johns said: “It is an ongoing cause for concern that we can see such an obvious difference in life expectancy within a city like York.”

But despite this stark inequality, York’s 2010 Health Profile, which is a report commissioned by the Department of Health, shows the health of people in York is generally better than the average for England.

The vast majority of indicators, including early deaths from heart disease, stroke and cancer, are all better than the national average and there have also been some significant improvements since the 2009 Health Profile.

Homelessness has fallen by 19 per cent, with 208 households being classed as homeless in 2008/9, compared to 258 in 2007/8.

Meanwhile, the number of children who are obese when they start primary school has dropped by 17 per cent, from 131 in the 2009 Health Profile to 109 in the 2010 snapshot of health.

Despite the decline in obese children, the number of physically active children is “significantly worse” than the national average, with only 43 per cent of primary and secondary school children engaging in at least three hours of exercise a week at school.

But Coun Carol Runciman, City of York Council’s executive member for children’s services, said this figure did not take into account the vast amount of out-of-school activities that young people take part in.

She said: “A lot of children belong to sports clubs, such as football, hockey and dance, and there is also an enormous group of girls who do cheerleading.”

Although the number of obese children is declining, the number of obese adults is rising, with 23.7 per cent of adults being classed as obese, compared to 22.2 per cent in the 2009 report.

Women ‘smoking in pregnancy’

SIXTEEN per cent of pregnant women in York and North Yorkshire continue to smoke in pregnancy, according to the 2010 report.

In 2008/9, 316 women in York and 936 women in North Yorkshire failed to kick the habit while expecting their baby. The problem is most prevalent in areas with a higher proportion of people with low incomes, particularly Scarborough.

Katie Needham, a consultant in public health at NHS North Yorkshire and York, said they were aware of the problem and had already introduced a range of initiatives to tackle it.

These include designing a wallet for baby scan photos that is printed with details of the primary care trust’s Stop Smoking Service. This free wallet is given to all mums-to-be at their scans.

She said: “We have specialist pregnancy advisors who offer one-to-one and group work and we are also making sure midwives get the training they need to support pregnant smokers.

“Smoking during pregnancy causes serious health problems. Women are less likely to carry their baby to full term and there is an increased risk they will miscarry or have a still birth. It also affects foetal growth and can lead to low birth weight and increased infant mortality. Smoking around babies also increases the risk of sudden infant death, respiratory illnesses and development of asthma.”